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Delete old accounts to keep hackers and trackers at bay

By
Updated  August 20, 2021 11:19am EDT
I-Team
FOX 5 Atlanta

Why you need to delete old accounts

You might not be using many of these older accounts online, but forgetting them is not enough. Security experts will tell you that you need to delete them and don't leave them hanging around forever.

ATLANTA - If you had to name every online account you have, you’d probably be hard pressed. Each year we add new ones, and forget the old ones. But you need to add this step - delete. 

You might not be using many of those older accounts, but just forgetting them is not enough. Security experts will tell you that you need to delete them to deter tracking and hacking. 

When you sign up to websites you agree to give them access to a lot of personal information like your calendars, your contacts, and your location. You might be done with that webpage, but it’s not necessarily done with you.

You can start tracking down sites you no longer remember by looking through your web browser’s history. Or maybe you bookmarked it years ago.

Another way to follow the data breadcrumbs is to look at a browser’s password keeper. Here are three top browsers and how to track old web pages.

  • CHROME: settings > passwords
  • SAFARI: preferences > passwords
  • FIREFOX: preferences > privacy & security > saved logins

Many websites you sign up for are connected through social media, or others like Google, or your Apple ID. Go to the settings of any of those and see what’s in there. If it’s unused, delete the account.

You are not only eliminating trackers, but also closing the door on hackers. They can easily navigate through old accounts you no longer use without you knowing it. So, delete. 

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